The masked woman closed her eyes, as if immersed in deep memories.
A picture flashed in her mind. It was a warm afternoon, the sun was shining on her face, and she was sitting under a big tree, with her beloved beside her.
They shared their thoughts with each other, and laughter echoed in the air.
At that time, her face was filled with a carefree smile, and her life was full of hope and beauty.
The sun shone on her face through the gaps in the leaves. She lowered her head and stroked her slightly swollen belly, where a little life was being gestated.
Her true love, the man who gave her endless warmth, was looking at her with affectionate eyes.
What she didn't expect was that in just a moment, she would be attracted by the current saint.
That day, she and Shu Zhihan's father were sunbathing by the lake. The sparkling waves on the lake reflected their figures. ..
Suddenly, a burst of noise broke the tranquility. She raised her head and saw a group of guards approaching a man in rich clothes.
The man was majestic and had deep eyes. He just glanced at her lightly, and she felt as if she had been struck by lightning.
This glance doomed her future tragedy.
That man was the current Holy Emperor. He fell in love with her and wanted to make her his concubine.
Since then, her destiny has undergone earth-shaking changes.
Originally, they thought that the matter was over, that the Holy One was just coveting her momentary beauty, and that after the novelty was over, he would not bother her again.
But what they didn't expect was that all this was deliberately arranged. How could the Holy One really let them go?
Later, everyone thought that all the sharks had been killed, but what they didn't expect was that she was brought back to the palace by the Holy One.
She was taken to a splendid palace surrounded by colorful murals, showing the wealth and power of the royal family.
The Holy Master held her hand and walked slowly to the center of the palace, where there was a huge dragon bed with gauze curtains fluttering, as if it was a fairyland.
The Holy Master gently touched her cheek, his eyes full of tenderness and longing.
"From now on, you are mine." He whispered, his tone revealing an irresistible majesty.
She threatened death and was unwilling to obey no matter what.
It is precisely because of this that the Holy Emperor was very angry, but he was still unwilling to let her go, and then locked her in this underground place where he could not see the light of day.
Hearing this, Shu Zhihan's heart was tightly pulled together. She reached out and hugged the masked woman tightly, trying to use her own warmth to dispel the coldness in her heart.
"Mother, you have suffered." Shu Zhihan's eyes were moist and her voice was choked.
The masked woman felt Shu Zhihan's care, and the grief in her heart was slightly comforted.
"Han'er, you must be careful, this palace is full of dangers." The masked woman gently patted Shu Zhihan's back and reminded her gently.
The masked woman gently held Shu Zhihan's face and looked at it carefully, as if she wanted to look deep into her heart through those clear eyes.
"Han'er, I know you have many questions in your heart, especially about Lu He and Xia Yang." Her voice was trembling, as if she was trying her best to suppress her inner emotions.
Shu Zhihan bit her lips and said nothing, but the anger and grief in her eyes were so obvious.
The masked woman took a deep breath and tried to calm down her emotions.
"Tell mother, did they do anything to you?"
"They... they did do some very excessive things to me." At this point, Shu Zhihan paused, seeming to be looking for the right words.
The masked woman held Shu Zhihan's hand tightly, her eyes full of heartache and pity.
"My child, you have suffered." Her voice was choked and her eyes were red.
She knew very well that
These painful experiences left indelible wounds in Shu Zhihan's heart.
"But, mother, I hope you won't bear grudges against them." She gently stroked Shu Zhihan's head, her tone gentle but firm.
In her heart, hatred will only plunge people into endless pain and darkness, while forgiveness is the beginning of liberation.
She does not want her daughter to carry heavy resentment, but hopes that she can face the past bravely.
"Lu He and Xia Yang survived here with me when they were young. When they grew up, they were taken away by the Holy One. Their appearance was also arranged by the Holy One." The masked woman recalled.
Many years ago, Lu He and Xia Yang were still childish children, playing and playing in this water.
As the years go by, Lu He and Xia Yang gradually grow up.
One day, a group of palace guards took Lu He and Xia Yang away, leaving only two lines of tears and the sentence "Be strong" before leaving.
Shu Zhihan then thought that it was probably for this reason that Xia Yang became the warlord.
She seemed to be able to imagine that the Holy Emperor was sitting on a high dragon chair, overlooking the green lotus and Xia Yang below, with a sneer on his lips.
His eyes shone with pride, as if he had foreseen their future fate.
He gave them power and status, but also deprived them of their most innocent smile.
Shu Zhihan held the masked woman's hand tightly, her eyes full of firmness and determination. ..
"At this moment, I seemed to understand why Lu He and Xia Yang did this to me." Shu Zhihan took a deep breath and tried to calm down her inner excitement, "I think they did those things to protect their mother. "
The figures of Lu He and Xia Yang appeared in her mind.
They stood on the high city wall, with the bloody sunset behind them, like chess pieces bound by fate.
Their eyes were firm and their expressions were determined, just to protect their only relative.
Shu Zhihan closed her eyes and tears fell.
She knew that Lu He and Xia Yang's sacrifice and protection were all for the safety of their mother.
She hugged the masked woman tightly, her heart filled with endless gratitude and love.
Shu Zhihan said again: "Mother, I will take you out of here and back to the border town, and we will live a good life together."
Her words were full of firmness and determination, as if there was a force supporting her.
The masked woman looked at Shu Zhihan, her eyes full of emotion and reluctance.
She knew that she already owed her daughter too much, and now that her daughter was willing to give everything for her, she felt extremely happy.
Under the dim light, the mother and daughter hugged each other tightly, as if time had stood still.
Their figures cast long shadows on the wall, like a warm and touching picture.
"Good boy, but mother can't leave this place now." The masked woman said softly, with tears shining in her eyes.
Shu Zhihan didn't understand. Why couldn't she leave? She looked at the masked woman suspiciously, her eyes full of confusion.
The masked woman sighed softly, a trace of helplessness and bitterness flashed in her eyes.
"My child, have you noticed anything different about your mother?" She spoke slowly, her voice trembling.
Shu Zhihan frowned slightly and thought hard in her mind.
Shu Zhihan's eyes fell on the masked woman's face, and she suddenly discovered a detail.
Every time the masked woman gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, the veil in her hand was always wet, but she never saw any signs of dryness on the veil.
At this moment, Shu Zhihan finally understood.
When she cried, she shed ordinary tears.
"Mother, you..." Shu Zhihan's throat was choked, and her voice was filled with endless sorrow.
She held the masked woman's hand tightly, as if she wanted to drive away the cold feeling from her hands.
"My child, my mother can only rely on this place to survive now." She held Shu Zhihan's hand tightly, with a trace of firmness and determination in her eyes.
The legends about the sharks suddenly appeared in Shu Zhihan's mind, and she understood the meaning of the masked woman's words.
At this moment, Shu Zhihan suddenly thought of something, her eyes widened, and she hurriedly asked: "But that purple pearl I have carried since I was a child?"
The masked woman nodded slightly, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.
Shu Zhihan was stunned. She never thought that the purple bead would have such an important meaning. She knew that the bead was not simple, but she didn't expect it to be like this.
"That's the amulet my mother made for you with her own shark beads when you were born." The masked woman said slowly, her voice trembling. ..
Pictures from childhood appeared in Shu Zhihan's mind.
She vaguely remembered that Master Shu looked at her, stroked her head tenderly, and said it was an amulet to protect her.
Shu Zhihan's tears fell down her cheeks. She tried hard to hold back, not wanting her mother to see her vulnerability.
"Child, don't cry." The masked woman gently stroked Shu Zhihan's head, her eyes full of tenderness and love.
Shu Zhihan raised her head, her eyes full of firmness and determination. She knew that she must do everything possible to take her mother away from here.
"Mother, is there any other way I can take you out of here?" Shu Zhihan held the masked woman's hand tightly, her eyes full of sincerity and expectation.
The masked woman was silent for a moment, seeming to be thinking about something.
She knew that Shu Zhihan had grown up and had her own thoughts and abilities.
The masked woman took a deep breath and spoke slowly: "My child, my mother is already very happy to see you again. I don't want to force anything else."
Shu Zhihan's tears fell like broken beads. She hugged the masked woman tightly, unwilling to let go.
She knew that this was the last moment for their mother and daughter to be together.
The masked woman gently patted Shu Zhihan's back, as if to comfort her inner pain.
Their figures looked particularly thin under the dim light, as if a gust of wind could blow them away.
"Mom, I will definitely take you out to see the sunshine."
Shu Zhihan said resolutely, determined in her heart to take her mother away from this annoying place.
Perhaps seeing the determination in her eyes, the masked woman said nothing more.
